King of Sharks (One-Shot)
Kaimana "Kai, have you cleaned your room?" "Yes, ma." Kaimana "Swimming trunks?" "Ma, that's obvious." Kaimana grabbed the eggs and bacon off the table. "Kai, you know you can't swim for two hours after eating." Kai frowned. "I'm still going ma." "Alright then, fine." His mother walked up to him and kissed him on the forehead. "Aloha No Au Ia 'Oe, my son." "Aloha No Au Ia 'Oe ma. Now I have to go. Ailani, Akamai and Honi are waiting for me." "Alright, alright." His mother ran her fingers through his hair. "Be careful of sharks my son." "I will." He grabbed his surfboard and headed out towards the sea. ---- "Hey Kai, you're late!" Honi noted as Kaimana came swimming on his board. "My mother held me back. Any good waves today?" Kai asked. "No, today's pretty calm." Akamai replied. "A shame too." Ailani, Akamai's sister, complained. "It took weeks to convince Akamai to bring me along." "You weren't old enough." Akamai noted. "As if my age affected by ability to swim." Ailani frowned. "Chill siblings. I'm sure the waves will come eventually." Honi reassured. "Isn't that right Kai?" "Probably. Ailani is right, it would be a shame to come out here without surfing." Kai agreed with both Honi and Ailani. Kaimana saw Ailani blush as he finished his words. It had been a day since her 16th birthday and well- Kaimana didn't know what to expect. For her to look older? More mature? She looked the same as Kaimana has seen her for the past 13 years; only a bit taller and...feminine. Same brown eyes, black hair and olive skin. Akamai was pretty much the same as his sister, only he was masculine in every way that his sister was feminine. Honi was the same, only he had curly brown hair and brown eyes. Honi was also the oldest out of all of them, being 17 while the rest were 16. Kaimana though- according to his mother, Kaimana's father was a malihini; a visitor to Hawaii. She had showed him the island and in a brief moment of passion- Kaimana was the result. His father never returned after that; his mother always said that he returned to the sea to swim with the sharks. Because of his father, Kaimana had a bit more brighter colours. His skin was still olive and his hair still dark but his eyes were green; a mark of a malihini. "Well while he wait." Akamai sat on his board. "Let's tell stories." "What kind?" Kaimana asked. "How about the tale of the Nanaue and his father, Kamohoalii; the King of Sharks!" Akamai exclaimed proudly. Kaimana rolled his eyes. He had heard this story thousands of times before; this story was told to him by his mother a thousand times. He never got sick of it when she told the story but something told him that he would if Akamai told it. "Who's the Shark King?" Ailani asked, she was on her board now as well. "Glad you asked." Akamai cleared his throat. "There was once a woman named Kalei. She lived in Waipio Valley and every day she would walk to the sea to bath there." Kaimana seemed to notice that Honi had disappeared somewhere but he paid no attention. "One day, Kamohoalii caught her bathing and was entranced by her beauty. When Kalei returned to her village, Kamohoalii stepped out of the water and masquerade as a chief of another village." Akamai continued. The chief of Waipio welcomed him with opened arms, he was another chief of course. Eventually, Kamohoalii and Kalei would fall in love; spending a lot of time together." "And then?" Ailani rested her head on her knees, listening attentively now. Kaimana noticed the dark figure swimming under her. "Kalei would come to carry Kamohoalii's child and just before the child was to be born, Kamohoalii returned to the ocean but warned Kalei to give birth alone and never to allow her child to eat the flesh of any animal. When Kamohoalii's son was born, he was born with a mark on his back; a mark that resembled shark teeth." "Kalei's child would be named Nanaue and he would cover his mark with a feathered cloak that his father left for him. However that wasn't enough, one day the village found out about the markk of his back and well- they killed him." Akamai finished. "Or." Kaimana interrupted. "Some stories say that he escaped to the sea to be with his father. We don't know for certain." "I like him escaping better." Ailani revealed. "Agreed." Kaimana smiled. "Hey Ailani, maybe you should start bathing at sea as well. Who knows, Kamohoalii might choose you for a mate next!" Akamai teased. Ailani frowned. "Don't tease me Akamai. It's just a story." That's when Honi jumped out of the water, right behind her. "Are you sure it's just a story?!" Ailani jumped and fell into the water. The three boys laughed. In fact, the kept laughing until they realised that Ailani had stayed underwater for longer than she should have. "Alright Ailani, you can come back up." Honi urged. "I'm sorry for scaring you." Ailani didn't. Akamai tensed up. "Ailani? It's not funny anymore. Come on up." Still nothing. Kaimana had assumed that the dark figure was Honi diving underwater and he had been right; however there were ''two ''shadows now. The second one larger than Honi and rising up. "Shark!" Honi shouted, grabbing his board. "Ailani!" Akamai deperately called out for his sister. "Ailani!" "You need to go Akamai!" Kaimana urged. "You're in danger." "But Ailani-" "I'll find her. I'm the best swimmer out of all of us afterall." Kaimana offered. Akamai grit his teeth and nodded once, starting to paddle back to shore. Kaimana sighed and took a deep breath, and then he plunged into the deep. The sea water immediately stung his eyes but he kept them open, scanning the area for the predator fish as well as his friend. He found them deeper into the sea, the predator; a tiger shark, digging it's teeth into Ailani's leg and thrashing her around in his mouth. Kaimana kicked downward, sending him towards the shark as well as through the cloud of blood in the water. Kaimana prayed that she was still alive. When he got close, he pulled his fist back and delivered a blow to the shark's snout; as you should when forced to face one. The shark immediately let Ailani go and in that brief moment, Kaimana grabbed her and shot forward to the surface- he didn't know how but he did. It also saved Ailani's life. He set her on her surfboard and starting swimming to shore; tugging her along. Honi and Akamai were already on land, waving at him. Kaimana didn't focus on the fact that the shark was still in the water; with any luck it would have swam away by now and he prayed that it did. No Such Luck. Kaimana was almost to the shore when he was pulled under. He felt his lung get crushed as he swallowed water and the sudden push against his chest. The shark had dung it's teeth into Kaimana's leg and was pulling him under. Kaimana kicked the shark over and over until the released it's grip on him. But the shark was smart and immediately turned to lunge at him again. Kaimana hastily dodged and managed to grab the predator by it's fin. Kaimana rode the shark like one of those mechanical bulls you have at fairs and you try to stay on as long as you can. The shark thrashed and fought Kaimana, trying to get him off it's fin. The shark eventually tired and he started thrashing around less. Kaimana let go of the shark then and then faced it. That's also when he gouged the shark right eye out. The shark thrashed in pain, swimming in a cloud of its own blood. Before he celebrated, Kaimana grabbed the shark by its face and forced it to look at him with its good eye. He didn't know why he did this or how he was able to but he stared at the shark dead in its eye. Then he threatened it. "Come around here again and I'll gouge your other eye out." He said mentally, as if expecting the shark to be able to read his mind. Kaimana was going crazy because he saw the shark nod. When he let it go, the shark swam away till Kaimana couldn't see it in the ocean depths. With the threat of danger gone, Kaimana realised three things. One: The shark bite on his leg had disappeared. There was a scar there but the wound was gone. Two: The shark had brought him out to see, too far away from the mainland. Nothing about this sea floor looked familiar and Kaimana had been exploring the sea near the beach for years now; memorising every detail. Three: He had been in the water for way too long. He should've suffocated a long time ago. But here he was, unscathed, in the middle of the ocean- breathing underwater. Kaimana suspected that if he were any less than the person he was, he would've freaked out and knock his head on something. He didn't know. Right now though, he needed to get to the surface and find his bearing. "And why would need to get to the surface for that?" Kaimana jumped and turned to face the voice. It belonged to a man and he- Kaimana remembered all the descriptions that he stories of the shark king gave him. The outfit of a chief with a feathered cloak draped over his shoulders. This man, he wore the outfit of a chief and had a feathered cloak draped over his shoulders. He also was underwater- and breathing. Kaimana couldn't believe his eyes. There's no way- it can't be- "Kamohoalii." Kaimana let the name slip out of his mouth. Kamohoalii smiled. "Yes that is what you call me yes? It's been a long time since I've appeared in this form." Kaimana didn't know what to do. Should he bow? How did fishes bow? "Kaimana. Relax, you do not need to fear me my son." That was it, Kaimana was at his limit. He could handle fighting a shark. He could handle being lost at sea. Heck, he could handle breathing underwater. But having Kamohoalii call him son was the last straw. Kaimana lunged backwards in an attempt to get back to land. He didn't even know if he was the heading the direction; he just wanted to get somewhere and get there fast. His body surged through the water, he was moving faster than he usually swam. His eyes seemed to adjust to the darkness of the sea depths and his hearing and smell told him if anything was near by. And his tail- Wait. Tail? Kaimana tried moving his hands but his hands were gone. He couldn't see them but he could feel his fins paddling powerfully into the water. He tried to open his mouth to gasp but his mouth wasn't mouth anymore. He now had large and powerful jaws. He was a shark. He was a shark. He was, right now, in this exact moment, a shark. Kaimana lost it again. He thrashed around, as if that would get him out of this body. "Kaimana, you're going to hurt yourself!" Kamohoalii swam forward towards Kaimana the boy-shark. Also Kamohoalii was now part fish from waist down; two tails replaced what used to be legs. "I'm a shark!" Kaimana thought violently because sharks can't talk. "I'm not supposed to be a shark!" Kamohoalii nodded as if had heard Kaimana's thoughts. "Remember who you are as a human; as long as the Kaimana is stronger than the Shark, Kaimana will win." "What?" "Think about what makes you human and you shall turn back into one." If Kaimana could still talk, he would've told the shark king to shove it and just turn him back. He didn't have for riddles. But Kaimana tried it anyway. He thought about his mother, who no doubt would be worried for him. His friends who would've told his mother that he hadn't resurfaced. Ailani and Akamai's father, who was the closest thing to a father he'd ever have, who now would be gathering men to try and find him on the slim chance that he was alive. And he thought about Kaimana. The boy who loved to run on the beaches. Who liked to laugh with his friends. The boy who stuffed all the food in his mouth with his hands. He couldn't do any of that as a shark. He needed to be human to do that. He needed to be Kaimana. Kaimana's vision went blurry, now the seawater stung his eyes again and his powerf tail and fins were gone, leaving his scrawny arms and legs to kick and move to keep him a float. He took a deep breath..water-breath, and he breathed through lungs rather than gills. Kaimana was a boy again. "Thank you." Kaimana managed to say underwater. Kamohoalii nodded. "Be careful with your gift my son. It is a powerful but dangerous gift." "Gift?" Kamohoalii nodded again. "I've only bestowed this gift to three people. A grandson of mine who could shape into any animal. The second was Nanaue, my son, who could turn into a shark; just like you." "I'm your son." Kaimana repeated. "Just like Nanaue was." "Yes. And like him, you have his gift." Kamohoalii revealed. "And his curse." "I don't understand." "All power comes with a price Kaimana. Yours comes with a curse. Another entity lies within you now, a beast that wants to shed as much blood as possible. To dye the sea and the ground in red. You cannot let it win like Nanaue did." Kamohoalii looked at him sadly, as if reliving that very moment again. "What do you mean a beast?" "A monster who you would have to fight over and over again to gain superiority." Kamohoalii explained. "If you lose to it, a beast you shall forever be." "Great." Kaimana sighed. "You are strong my son; I saw you face that shark to save your friend. Selflessness and sacrifice. You let the shark go when you could've easily ripped it apart with your powers. Merciful. Facing a powerful animal without the knowledge of your powers. Bravery." Kamohoalii stepped... ahem swam forward to place two hands on his son's shoulders. "Remember those qualities Kaimana. Selflessness and Mercy are what seperate us from the monsters. Without bravery, you will never be able to defeat the beast." The king of sharks kissed Kaimana on the forehead. "The sea's blessing be with you." "Thank you King of Sharks." Kaimana did an awkward half bow. Kamohoalii smiled. "I am not the king of sharks Kaimana, my realm is more than just sharks. My domain is the ocean. You may call me Kamohoalii, but name is Poseidon." "Poseidon. The god of the sea?" Kaimana's eyed opened wide. "Yes. Kamohoalii is the name your people gave me, as so many other civilisations have done before." Poseidon explained. "And the title of the King of Sharks, belongs to you Kaimana." Poseidon spread out his arms as if trying to display something in the environment. Kaimana looked around and noticed it- noticed them. Sharks, all of them forming a circle around him. Sharks of different sizes, species and colour. Even the tiger shark that had attacked him was there, his eye had stopped bleeding but obviously it wasn't going to be able to use it anymore. "I don't-" "Long live the King." Poseidon teased and the sharks agreed by swimming circles around them. "I have to go now. Goodbye my son. Remember. What i said." And with that Poseidon disappeared into the depths of the sea. Kaimana was still staring at the sight before him. The sharks still circled him, some bumping into him affectionately even. "I'm- I'm your king huh?" Kaimana inhaled a deep....water breath to steady himself. "Alright then. No attacking of humans anymore! Especially not here on this island. If I hear about any attacks, I will personally kill you myself." The one-eyed Tiger Shark bumped into all of the other sharks in a show of superiority. Somehow Kaimana got the message, they would also have to fight One-eye as well. "Alright, now all of you leave! You are dismissed." He ordered and the sharks reluctantly swam away. Except for one. One-eye was still swimmimg around him, not wishing to leave his side. Kaimana reached out to touch the shark, it didn't move away from it. "You want to stay by my side then huh? That's fine but remember no attacking humans." It looked at him with it's good eye as if to say "No duh! I don't want my other eye to be gouged out." "Alright, let's go home. They'll be trying to find me and I need to know if Ailani is okay." The tiger shark seemed remorseful for its actions, inching away from Kaimana a little bit. "Let's go home then." Kaimana surged through the water, as a human to return to his human home. Category:One-shot Category:Archie-Son of Poseidon